Poor Sleep Can Hurt Your Arteries

Sleep apnea & arterial damage is more than just snoring. It can cause serious damage to your heart and arteries. If left untreated, it raises your risk of heart attack, stroke, and early death.

At BaleDoneen, we look at how sleep problems affect your heart. We don’t just treat the symptoms of sleep apnea & arterial damage, we find and fix the root cause.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea means your breathing stops and starts while you sleep. These pauses may last a few seconds or more. You may wake up feeling tired, even if you were in bed all night.

Many people don’t know they have it. They might only notice they’re always tired, irritable, or foggy. Some feel better sleeping upright and this is known as sleep apnea sitting up because it may reduce airway blockage.

How Sleep Apnea Damages Arteries

When you stop breathing, your oxygen drops. Your body thinks you’re in danger. Sleep apnea & arterial damage causes your blood pressure to rise. Over time, that pressure can wear down your arteries.

Each night of bad sleep adds more damage. Sleep apnea & arterial damage can lead to plaque buildup, stiff arteries, and poor blood flow. That raises your chance of heart problems, strokes, and even sudden death during sleep. Sleep apnea & arterial damage risks are also influenced by the oral-systemic health connection, which links oral inflammation to cardiovascular damage.

Other Signs Your Heart May Be at Risk

Sleep apnea can work quietly, but your body often gives hints. Watch for these signs of heart problems:

  • Chest pain or pressure
  • Jaw pain during a heart attack
  • Trouble breathing at rest or during sleep
  • High blood pressure and low heart rate
  • Fast heart rate during exercise
  • Fatigue, even after sleeping
  • Low heart rate causes like fainting or dizziness

These can be linked to both sleep apnea and heart issues.

Sleep Apnea & Arterial Damage

Stress Makes It Worse

Ongoing stress raises heart risk. Can stress cause a heart attack? Yes. It increases your heart rate, blood pressure, and inflammation. Over time, this weakens your arteries.

Add sleep apnea to that, and the risk goes even higher. If you’ve had heart surgery, you may also deal with the emotional impact of heart surgery, which can add to stress and poor sleep.

Why This Matters for Long-Term Heart Health

Untreated sleep apnea & arterial damage can lead to:

  • Heart disease symptoms in men and women

  • More chest pain and heart failure treatment

  • Panic attack vs heart attack confusion due to breathing and chest symptoms

  • Increased risk of stroke after open heart surgery

Getting the right tests like a stress test for the heart can show how your heart responds during activity. This helps spot problems early.

What You Can Do Now

The good news is that much of this is treatable. You can improve sleep apnea & arterial damage with:

  • Better sleep positions and sleep studies
  • A heart-healthy diet
  • Regular movement or light exercise
  • A plan to lower stress
  • Managing blood pressure and heart rate
  • Following tips to improve heart health

The BaleDoneen Method includes sleep checks, heart scans, and full care plans that target problems early. We treat more than symptoms. We treat the real cause.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can sleep apnea cause clogged arteries?

What damage does sleep apnea do to the body?

What happens when an artery is damaged?

How do you fix arterial damage?

Can you live a long life with arteriosclerosis?